Before starting our dining report, I wanted to first announce the...
October/November Game Winners
First up is our...
#5 mousegear
mousegear and her family were at Disney World from 10/30 - 11/9 and she scored 230 points with the many updates that she sent to us during their trip.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from her updates:
La Cantina de San Angel
"Nachos were great! There was plenty of toppings and it was huge. However, the beef tacos were very, very dry and no one would eat them after one bite."
"The also found the churros with caramel sauce to be delicious."
Teppan Edo
"The meal at Teppan Edo was good as always. I ordered scallops...
"DS ordered shrimp, DCousin ordered Filet Mignon and DNiece ordered chicken. All were good and we enjoyed talking with the CMs. They told us about their home country and shared about their experiences so far working at Disney."
For their desserts...
Green tea cheesecake
Green tea ice cream
DS got the mango sorbet."
"For an appetizer, we shared an order of calamari, which were freshly made and tender."
"The marinara sauce had a little spicy kick to it, which was good."
"Then we once again ordered Linguini de Mare...
Pistachio gelato...
"DS ordered the Spicy Kazan Roll: Crab, Shrimp, Scallops, Tuna, and Fireball Sauce."
"He was happy with his choice ad almost ate the whole thing minus two pieces."
"DS chose a kids dessert."
"Rice Krispie sushi."
She said, "On Nov. 4, Monday morning, we had a Chef Mickey's ADR at 7:30 am."
The buffet line was actually really busy whole time so I didn’t take pictures. Here are some pictures of our plates and DS’s cupcake for his birthday celebration. Our of three breakfast buffets, Chef Mickey’s was my least favorite. The food weren’t that warm/fresh and I didn’t like the atmosphere either. However, DS was happy because he met all the “main” characters at once without waiting in line at the park.
"The buffet line was actually really busy whole time so I didn’t take pictures. But here are some pictures of our plates...
...and DS’s cupcake for his birthday celebration."
"DH ordered the Oak Grilled Wild-caught Thunder Surf and Surf."
"His dish was awesome. The fish was great and the accompaniment went well with the dish."
"I ordered the Signature Flying Fish Cafe Entree Duo: Char-crusted Angus NY Strip Steak and Potato-wrapped Red Snapper."
"The potato-wrapped red snapper was so very good. The crisp potato went well with the tender fish. I thought that the char-crusted NY strip steak was a little salty though. DS had the NY strip steak and he loved it since he likes salty dishes."
"For dessert, we chose the Banana Napoleon...
...and the Frangelico-laced Dark Chocolate Mousse."
"The Napoleon is the BEST dessert we had in this trip. The Dark Chocolate Mousse was decadent and very rich. The dark chocolate ice cream cut the sweetness of the cake. I also had Earl Grey tea which I forgot to take a picture of. Our waitress Rebecca was wonderful as well, all through the meal. We will definitely return to Flying Fish!"
JIKO
"DS ordered the filet mignon medium and it was so tender."
"He emptied his plate and told our waiter that it was the best steak he had all week."
"DS ordered from the kids menu for his dessert."
"The marshmallows in the little cup were sickening sweet. But DS ate the rest of it."
"DH ordered the coffee creme brulee...
"It was ok. We shared ours and I wasn't a fan of it."
"I ordered the chocolate and tea safari."
"I did enjoy the green tea ice cream but didn't like the chocolate part. It was way too sweet. I think we didn't make good selections with our desserts but we still had a great meal at Jiko. They have solid entrees which matters to us most. We will definitely return."
We are here at WDW this week and I found the best deal for a lanyard and a 2 pack of mystery pins is at Dino-Land pin stand near the entrance to the TriceriTop ride. The lanyard is $9.95 and they mystery pack is usually 10.95 but if you get them together you get them for $15. The man at the stand told me this was exclusive to the Dino area.
Hi everyone! I personally want to say that it was a pleasure getting to spend time with all of the lovely ladies (and some of the men) during this trip.
Vicki: That was a great photo at our California Grill dinner! (Sorry Rachel had to leave early that night.) I have a lot of photos for which I'm starting to upload to photobucket.
As a preview.... here's a photo from our first night get together. Unfortunately we are missing a few of our gang.
From left to right: Philip (Linda's DH), Linda (Linda67), Beth (Couchy), Me (Emmysmommy), Rachel (Rachel09985), Paula (Smile4stamps) and Barb (Jabead)
We are here at WDW this week and I found the best deal for a lanyard and a 2 pack of mystery pins is at Dino-Land pin stand near the entrance to the TriceriTop ride. The lanyard is $9.95 and they mystery pack is usually 10.95 but if you get them together you get them for $15. The man at the stand told me this was exclusive to the Dino area.
Thanks! Your post reminded me that I wanted to let everyone know that for as long as this thread is open I encourage people to post comments and photos directly to it. This can be done either while you are Disney World or soon after returning home. If you have taken photos of your Disney food but don't have the time or desire to do a full dining report, then feel free to post your photos here.
Kathy, Mary, their DDad, and Kathy's DBF Jeff were at Disney World from 10/15 - 10/20 and together they scored 246 points with the many updates that they sent to us during their trip.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from their updates:
VIA NAPOLI
"We started with a pitcher of red Sangria and it was a tasty and refreshing choice."
"We also got some Arancini to share. The came with some fresh marinara sauce to dip and the arancini had a nice flavor."
"Jeff and I both went with the Candele pasta, a candlestick noodle with meatballs and cheese."
"It was very good; it doesn't seem like a large portion, but this is a heavier meal and filled us up. The meatballs and cheese had a great flavor.
"This was our first time here and we were excited to try it. We each started with a pint: 2 Strongbow Ciders, 1 Half & Half (Guinness and Harp), and 1 Strongbow & Black Currant."
"We started with a couple appetizers: the famed Scottish Egg and the cheese plate."
"Unfortunately, the cheese plate did not come with a card describing each, so I can't tell you exactly what cheeses were featured. One was a blue cheese with candied walnuts and Craisins. It was good. The second I can't place and it came with candied red onions. This paired together wonderfully and was a favorite. The last one was a soft cheddar and served with sour pickles. We ate them all up."
"The Scotch Egg was fantastic (how could a hard boiled egg wrapped in meat and deep fried be anything but good?!) and the mustard added a nice kick to the dish. There were a lot of flavors going on."
"For our entrees, we each tried something different:
Mary had the fish of the day, which was a Scottish salmon and came with roasted vegetables."
"This was very good and filling, but not heavy. The salmon wasn't heavily seasoned, but when paired with the lemon-beurre blanc sauce it was great."
"I had the casserole of artisanal lamb with seasonal vegetables and herb dumplings."
"This dish was delicious! It was like lamb pot roast. The only complaint I had was the dumplings were difficult to get into. You had to cut it, would have been much better if you could easily sink your fork in and take some."
"Jeff chose the Indian-style chicken masala which came with basmati rice."
"He really enjoyed this dish. When it first came to the table, they put the rice down first, so we all thought that was all he was getting! He said the portion size was large and it wasn't overly spicy."
"Our dad picked the corned beef and cabbage."
"He really seemed to enjoy this dish and ate almost all of it. The cabbage resembled more of a coleslaw than huge chunks of cabbage. He was very happy with his decision."
She said, "After relaxing by the pool we decided to change for dinner and walk over to Hollywood Studios for dinner at The Hollywood Brown Derby. This is a favorite of my family and I, and this time was no exception."
"We started the meal off with a bottle of Pinot Noir to share. My dad really enjoyed the wine!"
"For an appetizer we shared the famous Cobb Salad."
"It was delicious as always! The waiter mixed it for us, and it had just the right amount of dressing. We got the entree size to split between the 4 of us and we each got a nice appetizer portion."
"For my entree I chose the rack of lamb (all natural herb roasted rack of lamb over blue cheese-corn pudding with a chianti and sweet onion reduction)."
"I thought this meal was great! I wasn't super fond of the corn pudding by itself, it was a little too grainy for me but when paired with the lamb it was excellent."
"Jeff chose the chicken (Ashley Farms free range breast of chicken served over house made spicy chorizo, yellow plantain hash and an avocado and heirloom tomato puree)."
"He thought the chicken was really good. The sauce it came on top of was really good. He said the chorizo wasn't really spicy and he had no problem eating it all."
"My dad and Mary both got the Sterling Silver pork chop."
"Mary felt that it was cooked pretty good, but not perfect. The gouda was good but the apple slaw, potato hash and cider jus really made the meal. My dad thought the pork was excellent and the potato hash and cider jus complemented the meal very well."
"Today we knew we would have enough room for dessert!
"We all shared three desserts. We decided on the Strawberry Champagne Cheesecake with Macerated Strawberries and Dark Chocolate Caviar Crisps."
"I thought this dessert was amazing! I am a strawberry lover (if you couldn't tell from the cupcake) and couldn't get enough of this dessert! It was very light and Mary said it tasted similar to a strawberry shake."
{A little background info, Mary and I LOVE creme brulee! If we see it on a menu we have a very difficult time passing it up. So we came here knowing we would get our #1 creme brulee! (and mind you we have had a lot of creme brulees!) We came to realize a few years ago the reason we love it so much is because our mother always used Watkins Double Vanilla extract and added more to any recipe, so double vanilla bean is like regular vanilla to us.}
"This creme brulee was just as good as always! The topping was burnt to a perfect golden brown. This did not disappoint!"
"Finally we decided on Banana-White Chocolate Toffee Tower on Cocoa-Almond Cookie and Bananas "Foster". "
"It had a nice banana flavor, was fluffy and light. We enjoyed this one as well."
"All three desserts were light...until we finished them off! Then, as my dad said, they hit like a ton of bricks!"
"After fueling up, we headed to MK and hit up a few rides, then decided it was to head to Adventureland to get a must do snack from..."
"Dole Whip Floats of course!"
"And of course I wore my "I run for Dole Whips" shirt so had to take a picture with my dole whip. I got A LOT of comments on my shirt!"
"While perusing the menu and wine list we took the advice of our waiter and many Disboards contributors and started with the bread service. We chose the 3 naans, and our waiter was able to easily up sell us to the 9 accompaniments. Our favorites were the mango chutney, coriander chutney, cucumber raita, and red chile sambal."
"For wine we got a Pinotage, which is a light-to-medium bodied red blend. It went well with our dishes."
"For our entree's both Jeff and I ordered the slow cooked butter chicken and short ribs with basmati rice."
"We both thought these dishes were awesome! This is actually something I was looking forward to trying after seeing it on the live thread and other dining reports. My favorite though ended up being the short ribs! They were amazing! Jeff even said later if he went back he would probably get 2 of the short ribs because they were so good!"
"My dad ordered the spicy durban chicken and short ribs with basmati rice."
"He thought they were both extremely tender and flavorful, the chicken was a spicy delight."
"Mary thought hers was very good. The flavors weren't strong but they were distinct. The sauce was light and the chicken was moist.
Mary said, "On Saturday morning we had another sweet breakfast of champions from the Beach Club Marketplace. What better way to drink coffee than with a sweet treat!?!"
"Morning peanut butter cupcake...
"This cupcake was better than I thought it would be. Typically, I am not a huge fan of cupcakes, but the cake here was moist and the peanut butter frosting was lighter than expected. It went great with a cup of coffee. Both Jeff and Bob thought this was great."
"On the way out in what has become somewhat of an Animal Kingdom tradition we stopped at the ice cream cart to get a little dessert."
"We chose a classic: the Mickey's premium bar!"
"Those first bits of ears are wonderful, aren't they?!? We were actually pretty full, so we shared 2 of these."
"I was very much looking forward to this meal. We arrived early and were promptly seated. They came around to give us water and ask about our drink. As this was our final dinner we decided to start with a drink."
"I was leery about the Appletini, but had to try it and thought it was wonderful. It didn't have any bite, but tasted similar to a Granny Smith, a bit sour but no pucker at the end. I was happy with this choice."
"We shared a couple of appetizers and chose the "must-do" portobello soup...
...cheese plate
...and heirloom caprese salad."
"I thought the Portobello soup was good, but I don't know that I could down an entire bowl of this soup. I enjoyed having the other flavors of the cheese and tomatoes to complement the soup. The tomatoes were good and the green tomatoes had an almost sour apple flavor to them which was interesting in a good way. There was a big ribbon of mozzarella, but the balsamic didn't have as strong of flavor as I would have liked. The cheese plate was yummy and again we didn't get a card outlining the 3 cheeses, so we don't have a good description of each. The cheddar was the favorite and it was served with a crunchy pear. The blue cheese did not have the bite that blue cheese typically does and was a bit disappointing in that regard, but the cranberry it came with complemented it well. The middle one I can't remember, but it was good."
"I was actually feeling red meat for dinner, but was sad to find the buffalo was not being featured on the menu when we went. They did have it as part of a game trio, but not as a star. The filet didn't really excite me as I thought it was just a steak, so I changed my plan and went with the specialty salmon."
"This was a great choice. At the Rose & Crown the salmon needed the sauce to bring out the flavor, but here the salmon was the star all on its own. It was flaky with a simple salt and pepper seasoning. The accompaniments were okay, but I would have preferred a bit of rice or potato in addition to the cauliflower and spinach. The candied bacon added a bit of sweet and saltiness to the dish."
"Kathy chose the halibut and though it was very good."
"At first glance she thought it might need a sauce, but upon tasting it the halibut didn't need anything. It was perfectly seasoned. The halibut came with a wonderful blue crab pierogi that was delicious."
"Jeff chose the pork tenderloin and thought it was tender and juicy."
"He ate it all up quickly and would most definitely order it again."
"Bob went with the game trio."
"We don't hunt and don't normally eat game meat, so this was a good opportunity to eat something different. It came with venison, buffalo steak and boar sausage. Bob thought the buffalo was the best of the 3 and said it was perfectly cooked and seasoned. His second favorite was the venison, which can sometimes be gamey but this had a nice flavor profile. His least favorite was the boar sausage which he deemed just okay. I had a bite and thought it was great."
"Going into this dinner I knew I wanted dessert and I knew exactly what I wanted."
"When our waiter, Andres, said the cobbler was made with fresh blueberries baked inside I was all in! This dessert was way better than I could have even imagined. The only bad thing I have to say about it was that I had to share. I could have ordered one for myself! The berry ice cream added a wonderful sweetness that complemented perfectly. It was probably the best dessert I have ever had at Disney. The berries were plump and delicious with a warm vanilla cobbler-cake and light dusting of sugar on top. I will have dreams about this one."
"We, wrongly, went with the creme brulee trio in addition to the cobbler."
"Should have gotten 2 cobblers. I didn't have any of the brulee (the cobbler took up all my attention), but the others said they weren't huge fans. It was 3 chocolate brulees, and they just weren't our cup of tea. The best one was the mocha, and those who like dark chocolate would have probably thought it delightful. The white chocolate was the one Kathy was most excited for, but she thought it had an odd flavor. The boys thought they were pretty good and finished them off."
Gisèle and her DH were at Disney World from 10/8 - 10/21 and she scored 415 points with the many updates that she sent to us during their trip.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from her updates:
Mocha Cake Cup
She said, "Tonight we had dinner at Downtown Disney's...
"I had one of tonight's specials, a Sea Trout dish served with a spinach, tomato and citrus risotto...
"WOW, the best risotto I've had in a very long time and DH said the same when he finished my dish!'
"For his entree DH had the Guiness stew...
"It was also good but a lot of meat and not enough veggies."
Gisèle (Arielle71) said, "I had the chicken and fish plate...
...and DH had the tuna sandwich."
"I had the PB&J milkshake and fried chicken with green beans."
Gisèle said, "We started with a glass of Prosecco and a Greek yogurt parfait with honey and berries."
"Then we went to the buffet."
"And after that the Cake Boss prepared cannolis that were paired with Asti spumante."
"Then he prepared cupcakes and showed different ways to decorate them."
"And finally he did his favorite pastry and our preferred one...
...a lobster tail with Bailey's custard. Delicious!"
"The boss!"
"And when we left we each received a little box with strawberries dipped in chocolate."
"At that point we were almost in a sugar coma but it was a great event!!!"
"Not bad. Last April we had the same sandwich here and it was made with scoops of ice cream. This time it was soft-serve, still good but we prefer the old version."
On Sunday, Gisèle and her DH attended the French Regional Lunch at...
Menu...
Place setting...
"Amuse bouche: Cauliflower with cilantro and parmesan paired with a chardonnay - 3.5/5"
"First course: Celery and black truffle souffle with a parmesan foam paired with a Bordeaux blanc - 5/5, it was so rich and fluffy!"
"Second course: Saddle of lamb stuffed with spinach and mushrooms and Boulangere potatoes paired with a red Bordeaux - 5/5, the potatoes were out of this world good!!!"
Dessert: Pistachio & cherry choux puffs Religieuse with vanilla ice cream paired with a sauternes wine - 5/5, this dessert is even better than it looked! And we already knew that wine and we looove it!"
"Excellent lunch and the wines served were really good."
She said, "Last night we went to the Jiko Food & Wine dinner featuring the Glenelly wines from South Africa."
"The reception was held on a terrace overlooking the savannah. We started with Moroccan spiced lamb pie, Mozambique salmon cake, and Ethiopian root veggies. - 4.5/5"
"First course was pan seared Durban spiced breast of pheasant. - 4.5/5"
"Second course was Yam and Asian Apple Salad with coriander dressing. - 5/5"
"Third course was pan seared halibut. - 5/5"
"Then we had Mahula pineapple-cardamom infused green tea granita. - 5/5"
"Next course was Wagyu Beef. - 4/5"
"And dessert was avocado pudding cake with blood orange sorbet. - 10/5 Amazing!!!!"
"Our parting gift...
"It was a great dinner and we loved all the red wines and the unoaked chardonnay. We will for sure order some from home!"
And then before leaving Animal Kingdom Lodge, Gisèle stopped and got a little something for later."
She said, "After a few hours at the pool on Tuesday, we went to the Hibachi Experience F&W Dinner at...
"At the reception we had plum wine...
...and edamame."
"Then we were led to a small dining room at the back of the restaurant where there is two hibachi tables."
"The first sake for the toast was served in a cute wood box...
More from Gisèle's Food & Wine Festival Hibachi Experience at Epcot's Teppan Edo.
"The first course was a clam miso soup...
"The second was lamb chop with a Japanese horseradish sauce - 5/5."
"It was paired with a Yuzu sake, very fresh and lemony."
"Third course were cod and sea bass with a 3rd sake - 5/5."
Gisèle continued, "Some volcanoes and a Japanese tornado...
"Fourth course was wagyu beef and filet mignon with mushrooms that were cooked in really pretty Japanese cooking paper with another sake! - 5/5"
"The meat dish was served with a green matcha tea sea salt and freshly grated wasabi, which is pretty rare and really expensive. That small piece sells for $100 in Japan!"
"A Mickey Mouse...
"And DH with the chef...
"The 5th course was Maine lobster and South African spiny lobster with another sake. - 5/5"
"The last course was crepes with flambeed bananas, red beans, and strawberries plus green tea and chocolate sauce, this time served with sparkling sake." - 5/5"
"The team of servers and chefs...
"This dinner was amazing, from the food, the pairings, and the service to the dishes and glasses they used! Plus we kept our engraved chopsticks."
Our next live reporter was the first to break the previous record holder's (JintyB) unbelievably high game total of 467...
#2 jerseytinkerbell
Jeri and her DH Rob were at Disney World from 10/10 - 10/26 and she scored 598 points with the many updates that she sent to us during their trip.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from her updates:
Jeri & Rob did an outstanding job of covering the Food & Wine Festival booths for us this year. Here are a some of the many offerings which they reviewed...
From the Desserts & Champagne booth...
Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake
"From Hawaii, I had the Aulani Sunrise (featuring Ocean Vodka)...
"I loved this! Such a great fruit flavor."
"We both also had the pork slider."
Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet-and-Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise
"We both really enjoyed this. We loved the spicy mayonnaise even though neither of us like mayonnaise. I would have liked a little more of the pineapple chutney, but overall an excellent offering!"
"Enjoying my drink on this beautiful day. Cheers everyone!"
From the Australia booth...
Garlic Shrimp with Roasted Tomatoes, Lemon Myrtle, and Rapini
"Rob is still raving about this! It smelled amazing. He only recently started eating seafood and he said this was his favorite seafood dish he's had so far."
"At China, Rob had the shrimp and Tsingtao beer."
Black Pepper Shrimp with Sichuan Noodles
"He liked this but not as much as the garlic shrimp. I had a few sips of his beer and it was very frosty and refreshing."
"I had the chicken potstickers."
"These were good. Slightly boring, but tasty."
"From South Africa, Rob got The Wolftrap Red Syrah...
"I tried a few sips and it was a really nice slightly dry red with a hint of fruit."
"At Poland, Rob had the featured pairing, which is the Zapiekanki and Temptation Zinfandel."
Zapiekanki - Toasted Mushroom, Caramelized Onion, and Cheese Bread with House-made Ketchup
"I tried a few bites of this and we both agreed it was very tasty. A little bit of heat in the ketchup too, which we like."
"From the Florida Local booth, I had the shrimp ceviche...
Florida Shrimp Ceviche with Fire-roasted Vegetables and Micro Cilantro
"Loved, loved, loved this! So much flavor and the cilantro took it to another level. I will be having this again soon."
"At Scotland, I tried the Banoffee Tart...
Scottish Banoffee Tart with Bananas, Scotch Whiskey Toffee, Walkers Shortbread Crumbles, and Sweet Cream
"This looked better than it tasted. It was ok, but overall not a ton of flavor."
"From the Ireland booth, I tried the Lobster and Seafood Fisherman's Pie."
"Great flavor but I wish it had a little more seafood in it."
"From Belgium, Rob had the Potato and Leek Waffle with Braised Beef."
"He loved this!"
"In France, I had my favorite item, the Escargot Persillade en Brioche."
"Buttery and amazing as always. I will be back here a few more times for these!"
"From New Zealand, Rob had the Venison Sausage (with pickled mushrooms, baby arugula, and black currant reduction) and Mohua Sauvignon Blanc."
"I had the Steamed Green Lip Mussels (with Garlic butter and toasted bread crumbs)."
"These were incredible!"
"I also got this sticker for trying the mussels."
"From the Hops & Barley booth, I had the Lobster roll."
"Delicious! The roll is lightly toasted with a nice butter flavor."
"There is a little condiment area here to add different flavors of Tabasco to your food."
"Rob wants one of these installed at home."
"In Germany, Rob got the Schinkennudeln (Pasta Gratin with ham and cheese) and the Weingut Pitthan Dornfelder wine."
"He said it was good but plain."
"I got the apple strudel (with Werther's Original Karamel and Vanilla Sauce)."
"It looks better than it tastes. Not much flavor."
"From South Africa, we both had the Berbere style beef (with Onions, Jalapeños, Tomato, Okra and Pap) ."
"This looked and smelled so amazing the first time Rob had it and he was a big fan, so I was looking forward to trying it myself. I was so disappointed. I think my serving was off. There was barely any beef and it was all jalapenos and okra. Same for Rob. Not a hit for me."
- More Food & Wine Festival offerings in next post -
"From the Canada booth, I had the Seared Rainbow Trout...
"Yum! One of my favorites so far!"
"I also had the cheddar cheese soup...
"So good! Just needed some pretzel bread for dipping."
"In Greece, Rob had the Domaine Skouras Moscofilero wine and Chicken Gyro."
"He really enjoyed the wine here and thought the gyro was just okay."
"From Argentina, we both had the beef skewer."
"Wow! Another great item! The beef was so tender. I need another one of these."
"In Mexico, I tried the shrimp taco."
"This was good, but I prefer the taco de ribeye."
"From South Korea, Rob got the Kimchi Dog."
"He said it was good, but nothing special."
"From the Cheese booth, Rob got the recommended pairing of the Big Bad Red Blend and the Blue Cheese Souffle."
"He enjoyed this a lot! He had been looking forward to it and it did not disappoint."
"I had the Artisan Cheese Selection and the Fairest Chardonnay."
"The Chardonnay was pretty basic but I REALLY enjoyed the cheese selection. I have too many items I want to repeat!"
"In Germany, I got a stein of the grapefruit beer."
"It was so hot out and this really hit the spot! I never thought I would love a beer, but this is so yummy!"
"From Ireland, we both got the cheese selection."
"I enjoyed this more than the cheese selection at the Cheese booth. Rob really enjoyed it too."
"From Greece, I got the Spanakopita."
"This was really good and it was a decent size portion."
"In Brazil, Rob tried the seared scallop."
"He really surprised me here by going for the scallop instead of the pork belly. I love that he has been trying so much seafood this trip! He loved the scallop and it was a bigger portion of food than I would have thought."
"In Singapore, I tried the chicken curry...
"This was okay. Somewhat forgettable. It had a surprising amount of spice, which I liked."
"At the Hops & Barley booth, I had the New England clam chowder...
"Now I know I love it! Lots of clams and potatoes in such a small portion."
"I also got the beer that is my usual favorite at home, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat."
"Love being able to get this on draft, since I can only get it bottled at home. We took our beers and enjoyed them during Survivor at the Eat to the Beat concert."
"Rob was in 80's heaven."
"In Morocco, I had to have the Baklava...
"Meanwhile Rob stopped at Japan. He really shocked me by getting the Spicy Hand Roll...
"The man would barely eat so much as a fried shrimp a few months ago and after two weeks in Disney he's suddenly eating raw fish! I love it! And he really enjoyed his roll."
"From the Refreshment Port, we both got the pineapple fritters...
"These were just okay. We both agreed they would be a lot better with some kinds of dipping sauce."
"Next Rob made a stop in Canada for the...
...Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon."
"He loved it! It was in his top three of the festival."
"Then another stop at Scotland, this time I tried the salmon."
"Loved the salmon, loved the cauliflower puree, but did not love the malt vinaigrette. If that had been left off the dish, it would have been another favorite."
"And last from the Terra booth, Rob got the watermelon juice."
"He really liked it and was trying to find out if you could buy a big container of it somewhere to take home. FYI, you could not."
"And I tried the chocolate cake...
"I really liked this! Not crazy about the passion fruit sauce but I did enjoy the coconut mousse on top. I liked that the cake was cold too."
Jeri & Rob sent some great updates from other locations around Disney World. Here are some of my favorites:
Jeri said, "Checking in with a caffeine update! We stopped in the Main Street Bakery to use up our Starbucks gift card."
"Rob had a Java Chip frappuccino with a shot of espresso."
"He asked me to order him the coldest, most fattening, most caffeinated drink they have so this is what I got for him."
"I ordered the seasonal salted caramel mocha frappuccino with a shot of espresso."
"This was really good!"
One more pic titled...
"Fueling up for our afternoon in Magic Kingdom!"
"We started with the 45 oz. Paradiso Bowl filled with the Category 37 Hurricane..."
"You get to keep this huge cup and refills are only $10. We split this and are currently working on our first refill. This is a great deal! You can even switch drinks for the refill if you want to. You can also bring this back anytime for the $10 refill. I think we will be coming here a few more times this trip just for that deal."
"For an appetizer, we started with the Crazy Corn...
"Rob had the fish tacos...
"He loves these!"
"I had the chicken burrito...
"Very tasty!"
"We found a new must do for us! Great service, great food and great drinks!"
"Rob had...
"Needless to say, it was incredible!"
Jeri said, "Midday treat update! Rob made me go see the worst movie ever (Machete Kills) so I decided to treat myself by making my second stop of the trip at Ghirardelli."
"This time I asked if I could change the flavor of the ice cream in the listed sundaes, which you can. So I got the Warm Brownie Sundae with mint chocolate chip ice cream and dark chocolate hot fudge."
Jeri (jerseytinkerbell) & Rob began their day yesterday by having breakfast at...
"I had the Lobster Eggs Benedict...
Two-Poached Eggs, Lobster Hash, Asparagus, and Hollandaise Sauce
"This was incredible! I would come back just for this dish!"
Jeri (jerseytinkerbell) & Rob sent us a great update from their dinner last night at Animal Kingdom Lodge's...
Jeri said, "I drove us over to AKL Jambo House. We explored outside for a little while checking out the animals."
"For an appetizer, I had the Peri Peri Chicken Flatbread...
KG's Peri Peri-roasted Chicken Flatbread with Lime Chakalaka, Lamb Chopper Cheese, and Pickled Sweet Bell Peppers
Jeri sent us an update from their lunch yesterday at Downtown Disney's...
"Rob started with a beer (or two)."
"Then he had two appetizers as his meal. He started with the soup of the day, which was a mushroom soup."
"Then he had the Nom Nom Wings...
"He really enjoyed both."
"I had an item our waitress said was new. I don't recall seeing it on the live thread before.
I got the Gnocchi Sea Gnocchi Do...
"THIS WAS AMAZING!!! Best dish of the trip so far! I highly recommend!"
"Then I had the Ger's Bread and Butter Pudding...
"This was just as good as the bread pudding at 'Ohana. It was such a huge portion that I didn't even come close to finishing it."
"This was such a fantastic meal! We might return again this trip."
"I had the Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes and ham...
"Not too impressed with these. Too plain and too many macadamia nuts. Should have stuck with the Tonga Toast."
From the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor...
All-American Sundae - old-fashioned vanilla and chocolate ice cream with hot fudge, peanut butter drizzle, whipped cream and a cherry
Let's begin today with Jeri's (jerseytinkerbell) update from their dinner on Sunday at Wilderness Lodge's...
"I started with the Whiskey Glaze Confit Natural Bacon...
...topped with a Sunny-side Up Quail Egg, Red Curry Silk, and Almond Butter Blintz."
"Very tasty!"
"Rob had the Pork Tenderloin...
Berkshire Pork Tenderloin with Beecher's Flagship Reserve Cheddar Polenta, Baby Fennel, Black Mission Figs, Pearl Onions, and Fig Reduction
...and I had the Cedar Plank-roasted King Salmon."
Served with Rainbow Cauliflower, Root Spinach, Lemon-Butter Sauce, Applewood Bacon Jam, and Short Rib Strudel
"My salmon was incredible! The short rib strudel was so good. Loved the cauliflower too. The lemon sauce on the plate really elevated the salmon. Rob liked his pork but when he tried my salmon he was disappointed he didn't order the same thing."
She said, "On our way out of MK this afternoon we made our second stop of the trip to...
"Rob got his usual, pineapple float with pineapple ice cream...
"I got the Coke float...
"We were really hot and these totally hit the spot today!"
And then last are some highlights from Jeri & Rob's three visits to...
"Rob ordered the Pot Roast Sandwich...
"He loved this and wants to go back to it again next week. In fact, he is currently singing a made up song about wanting a pot roast sandwich.
"I had the bacon cheeseburger with cheddar instead of blue cheese."
"This was really good and the fries were perfectly cooked!"
"Our second time we both got the grilled cheese and tomato bisque...
"We both asked for a pickle spear too. This was really good. Reminded me of being a kid."
"I didn't finish my meal because I was saving room for this...
No Way Jose
"This was too good. Now how am I supposed to ever stay away from this place."
"Rob got the Beaches Chocolate Cake...
"He was pretty much in heaven with this cake."
"We had a food déjà vu because on our third visit I once again ordered the bacon cheeseburger...
"And Rob had the pot roast sandwich again...
"Everything was great here once again! Fabulous service every time too!"
And that just leaves our #1, who not only surpassed Jeri's (jerseytinkerbell) seemingly insurmountable score of 598 but did so by nearly 100 points!!!
#1 smile4stamps
Paula and her DH Hunter were at Disney World from 10/18 - 10/28. In addition, Paula did live reporting from her two solo trips to Disneyland in early October and in November. Her combined score for these three trips was a whopping 692 points!!!
And with this exceptional score, Paula will forever be the record holder and reigning...
"QUEEN OF THE LIVE THREAD"
Here are some of my favorite pictures from her updates, starting with a few from Disneyland:
"The lobster roll."
"It's very tasty and the chips that came with it are good as well! The lobster roll has just enough mayo without it being dripping and tasting only of mayo. Would definitely get again!"
Paula met up with Brenda (emmysmommy) and her DH Michael one night.
"We had to give Pluto some love!"
"After getting that picture we stood there going...What do you want to do?!?! We discussed the food options and nothing sounded good so we decided to head out towards Downtown Disney by way of the Grand Californian. As we are approaching, I was asked if I'd ever dined at Napa Rose. I said, "No, I've always wanted to but because I am almost always solo I've never done it." So as we approach, Brenda goes, "Let's take a look at the menu." And then, "Let's see if they have an opening." Michael and I both say, "I don't think we are appropriately dressed." Apparently that didn't matter as we soon found ourselves sitting down at...
"Brenda asked our server if he would mind taking our picture, to which he replied, "No problem" and teased, "it's in my job description."
"We then placed our orders. Michael chose to start with the Prosciutto flatbread."
"This had figs and goat cheese on it as well. He insisted we each try it! Um ok!!! The flavors balanced each other very well and I have to say that was probably the best tasting item of the night!"
"Brenda and I both started with the Mushroom Bisque soup."
"I am a sucker for all mushroom soups (and corn soup!) so I knew right away that is what I wanted. The soup had excellent flavors but the broth was very thin. Brenda and I both agreed that we enjoy Artist Point's mushroom soup more. It didn't stop us from having it all though!"
"For entrees, Michael went with the Lamb dish..."
Grilled Colorado Lamb Porterhouse and Rack Chop - Braised Lamb Shoulder, Kalamata Olives and Sangiovese Jus
"He loved it and it was gone in no time!"
"Again Brenda and I went with the same choice..."
Slowly Braised Angus Beef Sort Rib with Sweet Potato Tots, Orange Gremolata and Pomegranate-Zinfandel Jus
"This was fall off the bone! It was actually a decent size short rib and we could have shared it! We both finished about half. Brenda had Michael finish hers while I was staring at mine going... "No way is my tummy going to eat all this!" So we had it packed up and Michael was going to take it home."
"We then stay there talking and somehow talk of BUZZ came up. I said, "Let's go. We have time for a ride before DL closes!" So off we went to DL for a ride on Buzz! As we were walking in though Michael was like.. "I don't want to carry these leftovers all over so he set them on top of a garbage can and said, "If they are still there on our way out then it's meant to be that I have them". Well they were still there so it was meant to be!"
"Brenda and I rode together on the ride and though Brenda did WAY better than me, Michael did better than us both."
I met up with a friend last night and after racing to do a few rides before the parks closed we headed to Downtown Disney for some food. This person is really picky on what she will eat so I let her choose the location and we ended up at..."
"Ironically, it is where Brenda and I had made plans to eat the day before but we never made it there."
"My friend ordered the two item combo...
Beef Taco and Enchilada with rice and beans
"She enjoyed it, as she ate most of it!"
"And I had...
...more chips! (in the form of Nachos with grilled chicken) I had the salsa Roja on the side."
"These were very good but I just didn't have much room for them!"
"This morning I had a planned DISmeet over breakfast with some of my DisDiva friends. We were meeting at 9:00 am at...
"Cheryl and I both ordered the Eggs Benedict."
Two Eggs, expertly Poached atop Canadian Bacon and an English Muffin served with Hollandaise Sauce
"Jill ordered the Two times Four."
Two slices of French Toast, two Scrambled Eggs, two strips of Bacon, and two links of Sausage
"And Beth ordered the Burrito."
Sunrise Burrito with Scrambled Eggs, Chorizo, Potatoes, and Cheese in a Flour Tortilla with Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, and Sour Cream on the side
"All said they were good. I loved the breakfast potatoes and the eggs were well cooked."
And here is a pic of the group of the DISers...
On left side, wearing pink and seated next to Paula is Beth (mommau4).
On right side, directly across from Paula is Cheryl (toocherie) and in purple is Jill (4fosterkids).
- Coming soon...my favorites from Paula & Hunter's trip to Disney World! -
Now for some of my favorite photos from Paula & Hunter's October trip to Disney World.
First is Paula's update from a Food & Wine Festival event...
Parisian Breakfast
"The food selections...
"My plate...
"Hunter had almost identical to myself so no picture. It is all VERY GOOD. It was also accompanied by unlimited Mimosas!!"
Then from their first visit to...
CITRICOS
"Our first course was an amuse bouche of hummus with fig and anise crostini."
"Second course was a fried yellow tomato with fresh buffalo mozzarella."
"Next came Veal shank, bone marrow crostini, root vegetables, and Yukon gold mashed potatoes."
"Then my short ribs with TROFIE PASTA!! Hunter took one bite of this and was in heaven. He now knew exactly why I wanted this again. It is SO good!!"
"Followed by Pork Three Ways (instead of Pork Two Ways as listed on the menu). This is Pork Tenderloin on butternut squash. Then Pork Belly on cheddar hominy puree and the Pork head cheese on a duck fat fried chunk of bread."
"The whole dish was phenomenal! We were starting to feel a little full! Thankfully only dessert was next..."
"Berries, vanilla gelato with raspberry dust and some sort of biscuit on the bottom and a raspberry gelato that was just amazing!!"
"And of course we can't leave without thanking the Chef!"
"Of course we started with Sangria!!"
"Wanting some meat, he selected the Piccante Pizza."
"We both had two pieces and that was fine."
"Of course I knew I had to get dessert!"
"I was ready to just stick my whole face in them!"
"It was another delicious Via Napoli meal and what we ordered was just enough for the 2 of us!"
Then from their first visit to...
"The hostess with her Vanna pose."
"Without even really having a chance to look at the menu though these appeared in front of us!"
"It's the pork belly nigiri! I had planned to order this anyways so having presented was awesome!!"
A few courses later it was time for their shared entrée.
"Hunter had selected the filet...
...and it looked gorgeous!! We were so full though it was a struggle to get down. Amazing though. Was cooked perfectly and the flavors amazing!"
"Of course we couldn't leave without dessert."
"We had a bite of each and enjoyed them but at the level of fullness we were at, we didn't do them justice."
Next a couple of my favorite snack updates that we received from Paula, starting with one from...
"I went with the Magic bar and the Apple Spice cupcake."
"The middle...
"The cupcake was okay. Frosting was a bit dense. Loved the Magic bar though!!"
"Finally I was willing to take a break for my fave MK snack!!"
"I knew you all knew I would be getting one right?!?!"
Paula & Hunter attended and sent updates from several Food & Wine Festival Demos and Seminars during their trip. Here are a few of the photos from my favorite...
"From the F & W booths we headed back again to the Festival Center for another Culinary Demonstration. This time it really was Hunter's realm though, as it was a dessert demo with John Hui!"
The finished product...
"This looks so simple but was really delicious!"
"Then one of Hunter and the Chef...
"Hunter had actually worked with him at an event probably 7 years ago. The Chef said he "looked familiar"."
"Overall this was a great demo!"
The next featured update includes one of my all-time favorite photos of Hunter.
Paula said, "I had asked Hunter several months ago if he would do Tea with me! I think he thought I was teasing."
"Hunter went with the Prince Edward and I went with the Buckingham."
Hunter, being a proper gentleman, of course drank his tea with his pinkie up.
"Hunter's cheese and pate...
And while at the Grand Floridian, they again visited...
The amuse bouche was followed by...
..."the Arancini. This thing is Huge and Delicious!"
"And also the Panada...
Spiced and Slow-cooked Beef and Pork in cr[isp Phyllo with Tamarind Sauce
"It has great flavor but needs some more sauce."
"The another gift from the Chef...
"This is Veal Cheek."
"And another gift from the Chef but we don't remember what the meat was!! It was very good though!"
"And finally the chicken we ordered but had no room for!"
Pan-roasted Ashley Farms Chicken Breast with Boniato and Sweet Potato Hash, Butternut Squash Puree, Herb Butter, Demi Glace de Pollo, and Baby Spinach
Next up are some photos from Paula's very fun lunch update.
"Hunter and I both ordered ice teas and Hunter did exactly as I hoped he would and sucked his down pretty fast! The server told him he better slow it down and brought him this...
"We also had the pulled pork spring rolls...
"These were very good. Wish they were a little bigger but the filling was great."
"Then we shared the chicken sandwich, I thought it was really tasty."
"When they brought our sandwich, the server asked if we needed anything else. Hunter yells out, "KETCHUP, I need ketchup over here!!"
"Lots of ketchup was delivered!!"
"When we were done eating I deliberately sucked down the last of the tea and asked our server if I could have "just a little bit more."
"We loved the antics and most of the food. Definitely a place we would return to!"
And last but not least, one of my favorite of Paula's updates from this trip. She did a fantastic job of covering this Food & Wine Festival special event...
Paula said, "We upgraded this year! Hunter was tired of all our stuff going missing last year and trash on our table with just reserved seating."
"We were given lanyards to wear so they could identify who belonged in the Wine View Lounge."
"This was one of the best things I had all night!"
"This was also very good. Nice fresh pasta!"
"I enjoyed this but Hunter did not. He thought the risotto was undercooked..I'm not sure it there were different batches or what may have been different."
"This was unfortunately overcooked and very tough."
"Unfortunately this was also overcooked!"
"This one, all I could taste was the spices on the crostini. They completely overpowered everything!"
"I don't think I tried this one."
"I again did not have this one. Hunter said it was pretty good."
"This was good...interesting. The "poppin" was Pop Rocks!"
"Neither Hunter or I actually tried this."
"This was cold (I'm sure supposed to be that way) but I was really not hungry so again passed."
"This is one of the tables in the WVL (not ours). One guy went and got everything before the general admission people were allowed in."
This was the first of three posts, all filled with great photos that Paula took at this event. Here are the links to the rest: Part II and Part III.
And that completes the announcement of our final game winners. Next up will be the start of the joint dining report from our December trip so please stay tuned.
Great job Hunter. (Okay, I know the pictures are really taken by Paula) I'm really liking this pictures with the Chef idea. How do you accomplish this???
You could be starting a whole new trend. Picture with Mickey/Goofy/Minnie/Chef . . . .
I had so much fun meeting everyone
Both Jeff and Bob thought this was great." 
We discussed the food options and nothing sounded good so we decided to head out towards Downtown Disney by way of the Grand Californian. As we are approaching, I was asked if I'd ever dined at Napa Rose. I said, "No, I've always wanted to but because I am almost always solo I've never done it." So as we approach, Brenda goes, "Let's take a look at the menu." And then, "Let's see if they have an opening." Michael and I both say, "I don't think we are appropriately dressed." Apparently that didn't matter as we soon found ourselves sitting down at...
